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CAL BETASigma Phi Epsilon May 2012 Newsletter

Brothers gather on May 10 to celebrate seniors before commencement ceremonies the following day, see page 7.

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS!What: Balanced Man Scholarship (BMS) BanquetWhen: August 24 at 7 p.m.Where: USC’s Davidson Conference CenterRSVP: Dave Weissglass weissgla@usc.edu

THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

FAREWELL SENIORS

We take some time to reflect and honor our seniors and their time here at Cal Beta.

Pages 3-6

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Daniel Carr Crawford catches up and welcomes back alumnus Sean Douglass ’96.

Page 7

“Hello and welcome back to the newsletter of Sigma Phi Epsilon's Cal Beta chapter here at the University of Southern California. In this issue we review our spring semester and honor our graduating seniors.

Read. Scroll. Enjoy. We would love to hear from you.” --Corey Chang, VP of Communications

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IN CASE YOU

MISSED ANYTHING...

January16-20Cal Beta kicked off the spring semester with Rush Week holding events at places as far away as Jakes Billiard’s in Pasadena to as close as our front lawn for a Monday night barbecue. By the end of the semester on April 28 we initiated and welcomed eight more brothers into our fraternity.

February March April IN CASE YOU

MISSED ANYTHING...

January16-20Cal Beta kicked off the spring semester with Rush Week holding events at places as far away as Jakes Billiard’s in Pasadena to as close as our front lawn for a Monday night barbecue. By the end of the semester on April 28 we initiated and welcomed eight more brothers into our fraternity.

4-5Vice President of Member Development, Jake Kooker organizes a brotherhood development over-night camping trip to Joshua Tree National Park.

10-18:

IN CASE YOU

MISSED ANYTHING...

January16-20Cal Beta kicked off the spring semester with Rush Week holding events at places as far away as Jakes Billiard’s in Pasadena to as close as our front lawn for a Monday night barbecue. By the end of the semester on April 28 we initiated and welcomed eight more brothers into our fraternity.

10-11Our executive board and three other brothers attend the Carlson Leadership Academy in Irvine, CA learning from alumni, mentors, and fellow SigEps.

IN CASE YOU

MISSED ANYTHING...

January16-20Cal Beta kicked off the spring semester with Rush Week holding events at places as far away as Jakes Billiard’s in Pasadena to as close as our front lawn for a Monday night barbecue. By the end of the semester on April 28 we initiated and welcomed eight more brothers into our fraternity.

25Our 3.33 fall semester GPA makes us the top academic house on the row, while we finish second in the Iron Man intramural fraternity athletic league rankings.

March April

FebruaryJanuary

While brother Timur Aburashidov’s spring break trip to Peru was covered in March’s newsletter, Sinjin Sato (second from left below) also embarked on his own educational journey. Accepted into the Global Leadership Program in the Marshall School of Business, Sato traveled to Beijing, China in March.

“It was truly an invaluable learning experience, I got to meet global business leaders of foreign companies trying to expand in China like Lenovo, as well as domestic ones too like Yanjing Beer,” said Sato.

In addition to the presentations he gave and listened to, Sato also had time to see Bejing’s historic landmarks while also picking up some Chinese along the way.

19-22Thirteen brothers traveled and camped in Indio, CA to attend the annual Cochella Arts and Music Festival.

30With finals approaching, VP of Finance Kevin Downey Jr. (84) wraps up spring practice with USC’s football team, securing a spot on the depth chart as a Tight End.

May 2 and 9Travis Primm, senior, presents two of his video games at USC’s Game Pipe Pitch Day. Edd Benda, junior, screens his short film TIna For President at the Norris Cinema Theatre, a project he had been working on since November.

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Nathan Palanov is a diverse brother. He was born in Danville, CA moved to Switzerland and then Vermont, all while attending boarding school in England for four years. Let's just say this has left him with an...interesting accent. Nathan recently graduated with a degree in Business Administration and has a job in sales for an IT Security company called Rapid7 in El Segundo. I caught up with him to discuss his SigEp experience and his future.

Jason Gomez: After moving and traveling all over the world, what made you decide to come to USC?Nathan Palanov: Well I was tired of the cold in Vermont, the lack of girls there, and most of all I wanted to come back to California.

I’m so glad I picked USC, I couldn’t be happier.JG: Did you hold any positions in the house?NP: Yes. I was the Alumni Relations Chair for 2 years and brought a lot of alumni and speakers to the house. Two of the most memorable alumni I brought to the house were Sean Piller and Greg Koch. Mr. Piller, was the producer for ABC Family’s television show Greek and spoke to the brothers of our house and attended our 80’s Party two years in a row. Mr. Koch, is the founder of Stone Brewery and spoke to the brothers giving juniors and seniors a beer tasting exhibit for his unique brew.JG: How has being in this house changed you?

NP: Well, I’ve always been a generally laid back person, very humorous (as many of the bros in the house know), and am committed to making friendships. The house has definitely made me more confident and open to exploring new avenues. For example, one of my good f r iends Sean Andrews thoroughly enjoys experimenting unique restaurants all around Los Angeles, and I would go with him in order to broaden my cultural tastes. JG: Any last thoughts?NP: I am going to miss being in the house, but I’m sure I will still see everyone here and there when I come back for football games and other events.

Beyond this interview, I’ve spent three years in the house with him and I can definitely agree with his answers, and can attest to his humor and charismatic personality. He always exemplifies the SigEp principle of brotherly love. When I asked him how his new job is going, he responded in classic Nathan fashion, “you know, just keeping it nasty at my new job at Rapid7.

Jason Gomez is a junior and Vice President of Programming studying International Relations and Global Business from San Bruno , CA.

NATHAN PALANOVBy Jason Gomez

Nathan Palanov, third from left poses with fellow seniors (pictured from left) Mike Stillo,, Matt Frager, Travis Primm, Sean Andrews, Nick DeSantis, and Daniel Zerunyan, after our Parents Associations’ year-end barbecue held in their honor.

Recent graduate Ben Gallant has had a long and illustrious career with SigEp, beginning in the fal l of 2008. Ben, an economics major, is one of three seniors remaining from the fall 2008 pledge class and has been heavily involved in the CalBeta Chapter and Greek l i fe in general since pledging. Ben has held previous roles in the house such as social chair, Vice President of Finance, and even President in 2011. Ben was also an IFC Director prior to being elected to the IFC Executive Board as Vice President of Scholarship w h e r e h e c o m p l e t e l y renovated the way in which all Greek men must complete their study hours.

Ben has been a leader for SigEp for the entirety of my SigEp career along with everyone else. I was fortunate enough to serve on the executive board with him and his level of dedication to his job permeated amongst all of us. He also epitomizes what it means to be a brother of SigEp, maintaining one of the highest GPA’s in house while still finding time to help contribute to our intramural athletics teams in our quest to win Iron Man. Ben has also found a new passion for the sport of tennis. Recently, Ben just accepted a job working for real estate capital intermediary

HFF and will be staying in the Los Angeles area. We are all confident that Ben’s commitment to SigEp will continue even though he has graduated.

Rob is a junior from Reading, Pennsylvania studying International Relations and Global Business.

BEN GALLANTBy Rob Cala

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While many brothers of Sig Ep Cal Beta have bid farewell for the summer, our seniors are leaving the house and the USC campus for the last time, moving on into the real world. One of these departing men is Daniel Zerunyan, a member of the Fall 2009 pledge class who has been one of Cal Beta’s great leaders since his initiation. Hailing from Palos Verdes, Daniel majored in International Relations and Global Business he has had many roles most notably his service as Vice President of Member Development during 2011. “I joined Sig Ep because I was looking for something different in a fraternity. That’s exactly what this chapter stood for – something different,” Daniel said. His intense passion for sports has also led him to take on other professional endeavors around campus. This past year, Daniel was the head intern in the USC Athletics Department, a job that has influenced

him to pursue in a career in sports marketing. Zerunyan has a lot of great memories from his days as a Trojan undergrad and as a Cal Beta brother. “Attending the Ruck Leadership Institute and meeting other Sig Eps was a great Sig Ep experience,” Zerunyan said. “I also learned many great leadership skills that will have a lasting impact on my life.” While RUCK may stand out as a singular memorable moment for Daniel, his whole Sig Ep experience has been life-changing and very much worth it. “Sig Ep has provided me with the tools to be successful in life. I will never regret my decision to join Sig Ep. Not only am I proud to be a Sig Ep, but I am even prouder to be a Trojan.” We wish Daniel good luck in his future endeavors and hope he spreads v i r tue, di l igence, and brotherly love to all who he comes across in future.

Jeremy is a freshman from Millburn, New Jersey, studying Communication.

DANIEL ZERUNYAN

A native of Dallas, Texas, Travis Primm became a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Cal Beta Chapter in the spring of 2009. Originally coming to USC to run the 400 meter hurdles for the men’s varsity

track and field team, Travis looked for an organization to help augment his collegiate career. Not only was Travis a fantastic hurdler, he also attempted to walk-on to the men’s varsity volleyball team, exemplifying his true athleticism and well-roundedness. After being in the chapter for only one year, Travis was elected by his peers to become the Chaplain on the executive board. With the help of his executive board, Travis helped implement a new ranking system within the house based on participation, brotherhood, and leadership inside and outside of the

Cal-Beta Chapter. As a result, more and more brothers were encouraged to join student organ izat ions on campus, ga in leadership roles, and in turn, aid the

chapter with well-rounded recruitment and valuable assets to many other brothers reaching out for campus-wide participation. Travis plans on staying another year at USC to complete his degree in Computer Science Games, the number one ranked program of its kind in the country. With his internship at Lucas Arts this summer, there is no doubt that Travis will excel and be presented with many career opportunities in the future. Cal Beta will certainly miss one of its most loyal and dedicated brothers, Travis Primm.

Ryan is a junior also from Dallas, Texas who’s known Travis ever since middle school playing volleyball against each other. He’s currently studying Biomedical Engineering.

TRAVIS PRIMM

By Ryan Bates

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MATT FRAGER By Sean Andrews

Matt Frager's everyday presence in Sigep will be missed greatly next fall when he takes his talents to USC's Keck School of Medicine.

Matt joined the fraternity in spring 2009 and was one of the most heavily involved members of the house over the last three years. In fact, he became such a great leader and role model in the house that younger guys would often confuse him for being an Executive Board member. Although he never served on Executive Board, Matt contributed positively to nearly every aspect of the Sigep experience.

Matt perhaps represents the epitome of what it means to be a balanced man. At USC he received outstanding grades in a rigorous academic curriculum as a double major in biology and philosophy. Nevertheless, it was rare to see him miss a party or a crazy night out. And it was equally rare for him to turn down an opportunity for a road trip or getaway to Vegas on the weekend.

On top of his busy academic and social life, Matt still found time to make it to the gym nearly every day of the week.

I have had the great honor of being Matt's close friend and roommate over the last three years. We lived across the hall from each other in New/North our freshman year and pledged SigEp together in the spring. The two of us have been joined at the hip ever since. This fall we will move into an apartment in downtown L.A. with our good friend Mike Stillo.

BROTHERLY LOVE MADE MANIFEST

SEAN ANDREWSBy Nathan Palanov

    I have known Sean since freshman year when he, Matt Frager and I lived in North freshman dorms. After some convincing the native of Boston joined the house as part of the Spring ’08 pledge class with Matt. Sean became one of the most dedicated people in the house, doing his best to help with rush and social even though he didn’t have an official chair position. He is always known for his impeccable style and taste, and strives to try new things in life whenever he could. Sean is always a bright face around the house, and could always be counted on by any brother for help with any task. In his schoolwork, Sean was chosen for a highly selective USC Marshall Undergraduate Student Investment Fund (USIF) Program, where along with fifteen of his peers he managed a portion of the University’s equity endowment, providing him real- l i fe investment and financial management skills. This class helped Sean discover his passion for finance and investing, leading to his job offer as a Pricing Associate at Ares Management right here in Los Angeles. For the 4 years I’ve known him, Sean has been one of the most caring people I’ve known and has exemplified the cardinal principle of Brotherly Love. I look forward to going to more football games with him as alumni and making our fortunes in our new home, the City of Angeles!

MATT FRAGER AND SEAN ANDREWS

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By Burke Gibson

Tadeh Ghazalian, a recent USC graduate born in Italy and raised in Ottowa, Canada, isn’t just destined for a successful career in business – he’s already living it. Not only has he owned and operated his own restaurant on the Sunset Strip– the Dialog Café – for the past several years he’s managed to be one of the most prominent and involved members of SigEp while earning his degree. “My entire family was involved in business from coffee shops to electronic repairs. I was raised in this environment and I just fell into business, specifically accounting, said Tadeh. “ And USC has one of the best schools for accounting in the nation.” He quickly became close friends with the members of the Cal Beta chapter, while also embracing the the challenge of working full time and studying in USC’s rigorous accounting program.

“During the recruiting barbeque, I knew Sigep was it,” said Tadeh of his early career at USC. “They were intelligent, ambitious, and most of all brotherly people who I could relate to, and I knew they would be there if I ever needed anything.” Coming from a family of driven people – both his father and older brother are successful business owners as well – Tadeh has lived up to their expectations and has continually been a prime example of virtue, dil igence, and brotherly love. And even though he’s finished his undergraduate degree, Tadeh is by no means going to take a break or be very far from USC and SigEp. While continuing to manage his café, Tadeh will pursue a masters degree in accounting as he interns at Deloitte, a respected accounting firm in downtown Los Angeles.

Burke is a freshman from Bellevue, Washington studying Economics.

TADEH GHAZALIAN

By Corey Chang

As a Spring Admit in 2009 from Rancho Palos Verdes, Mike Stillo entered Cal Beta’s red doors on a mission. He rushed wanting to meet new people and become a part of something greater than himself. Over the past four years SigEp’s balanced man ideals have shaped Mike for the better. For Mike, academics have never been an issue. He graduates with a Bachelors of Science in Accounting and a minor in Economics while also a member of several honor societies including the Golden Key International and the Leventhal School of Accounting Honor Council. However, upon arriving to USC during his first few semesters Stillo lost touch with his lifelong passion of running. Prior to college he was a competitive runner in Track and Cross Country. But by the end of his sophomore year, the chapter's virtues taught him that being a

leader and balanced man requires having a sound body as well. “Running has definitely helped me to get back in shape and also was a great way for me to take a break from studying and process what I had just learned,” he said. With a job lined up with one of downtown Los Angeles’ Big 4 public accounting firms, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, LLP, Mike will only be a few miles north up Figueroa Street where he hopes to one day be either a Partner there or a CFO at a fortune 500 company. As a fellow runner who has trained with Mike, his accomplishments both inside and outside the classroom leave me with no doubts that he will continue running towards a bigger and brighter future, full of success in the “real world.”

Corey is a Sophomore and Vice President of Communications from Portland, Oregon studying Policy, Planning, and Development.

MIKE STILLO

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SENIOR BBQ MAY 10, 2012

Want to Get Involved?Cal Beta is always recruiting. That means we’re not only recruiting undergraduates but we want YOU to get involved! If you are a Parent looking to find out more about what your son is up to, or you are an alumnus looking to get re-connected, please get in contact with us. We look forward to having you!

Parent’s AssociationHead of The Parents AssociationJody Zerunyanjody.zerunyan@gmail.com

AVC CommitteeAlumni & Volunteer CommitteeFrank Butterfieldfrankbutterfield@gmail.com

SIGEP CAL BETA700 W. 28th St.Los Angeles, CA 90007

Undergraduate ContactVP of Communications Corey Changcoreycha@usc.edu

  Sean Douglass is from El Segundo, CA, and was a member of SigEp Cal Beta for all four years at USC, graduating in 1996. As a Trojan he was a Annenberg student majoring in Communication with an emphasis in Business. Brother Douglass believes that SigEp’s cardinal principles of Virtue, Diligence, and Brotherly Love helped him immensely after graduation. These qualities have assisted him in his service of helping other through his family’s mortuary business, Douglass Family Mortuaries, which he heads. Brother Douglass knew from the beginning that he wanted to attend USC and join a fraternity; his father was a member of Kappa Sigma at USC, and his two sisters were members of Pi Beta Phi and Tri Delta. The process of choosing a house would be tougher for him, however. Douglass joined SigEp during the second semester of his freshman year. He originally went through the pledge process with another house, but decided to not see the semester through because it wasn’t the right fit for him. The following semester, he decided to rush SigEp, and realized almost immediately that this was where he wanted to be.

He credits his SigEp brothers with helping him achieve academic success and grow as a person throughout his undergrad years. “[They] helped me get through school and classes and balancing everything,”, he said. Douglass is still close with many of his brothers today.

Daniel is a sophomore from LaVerne, California studying print and digital journalism.

CAL BETA WELCOMES YOU BACK!Daniel Carr-Crawford, catches up with brother Sean Douglass ’96 for this issue’s alumni profile.

Want to Get Involved?Cal Beta is always recruiting. That means we’re not only undergraduates but we want YOU to get involved! If you’re a Parent looking to find out more about what your son is up to, or you are an alumnus looking to get re-connected, please get in contact with us. We look forward to having you!

Parent’s AssociationHead of The Parents AssociationJody Zerunyanjody.zerunyan@gmail.com

AVC CommitteeAlumni & Volunteer CommitteeFrank Butterfieldfrankbutterfield@gmail.com

SIGEP CAL BETA700 W. 28th St.Los Angeles, CA 90007

Undergraduate ContactVP of Communications Corey Changcoreycha@usc.edu

Everyone here at Cal Beta thanks our Parent’s Association President Jody Zerunyan for bringing together

brothers, family, and friends by organizing a catered barbecue and awards ceremony in honor of graduating seniors (top and middle). Out

on our front lawn, the event also included an annual Cal Beta tradition- roasting our seniors in light-hearted humor.

Brother Sean Douglass with the rest of his family.